Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS)
It was launched by Ministry of Rural Development via Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005.
It ensures 100 days of unskilled manual job for the unemployed in rural and transition areas. As per latest statistics, 12.3 crore active workers are registered, 4.7 crore community assets been created, 181.23 crore person days’ work generated etc. this shows the magnanimity of MGNREGS.
It is beneficial on two counts; first it helps to build community assets and secondly helps to counter cyclic & disguised unemployment.
It is one of the most successful employment guarantee scheme as it has helped to alleviate poor above poverty level. It has increased rural wage, helped in ensuring equal women participation, direct cash in hands on poor resulting in choice based welfare etc.
Few concerns with MGNREGS include, wide spread corruption, unsustainable community assets, disturbing rural employment structure, delayed payment etc.
Measures like ensuring proper participation of Gram Sabhas as mandated, ensuring timely payments, direct benefit transfer to bank accounts to eliminate corruption etc. could be used to make MGNREGS more effective.
